Period product dispensers provided by County in its public restrooms

Contributed

Fact Sheet

• Hamilton County purchased 110 dispensers at a cost of $25,190 from a local small business. 
• 72 Dispensers installed in all County-owned administrative buildings in public women and gender-neutral bathrooms. Additional dispensers available upon request.
• Current Locations of installed dispensers include:

Building, Address, # of Dispensers

1. Taft Law Center, 230 E. Ninth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–4
2. 800 Broadway Building / Times-Star, 800 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–19
3. Todd B. Portune Center, 138 E. Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–8
4. Hamilton County Courthouse, 1000 Main Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–6
5. Hamilton County Public Health Department at 250 William Howard Taft, 250 William Howard Taft Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219–6
6. Alms & Deopke / HCJFS, 222 E. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–21
7. Hamilton County Justice Center, 1000 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202–2
8. Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center at 2020 Auburn Avenue, 2020 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219–2
9. Coroner Crime Lab, 4477 Carver Woods Drive, Blue Ash, Ohio 45242–2
10. Communication Center, 2377 Civic Center Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231–1
11. Sheriff Patrol Headquarters, 11021 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231–1

Total = 72

• While progress has been made to combat health inequities through policy advancements, national and local organization collaboration, and grassroots efforts including that of the Hamilton County Commission on Women & Girls, menstruation remains highly stigmatized and period poverty remains a pervasive issue.

• Period Poverty is defined as the limited or inadequate access to menstrual products or menstrual health education as a result of financial constraints or negative socio-cultural stigmas associated with menstruation.

• Hamilton County, Ohio has a population of over 826,000 individuals and with an estimated 26% of a population being of “reproductive age” there are over 200,000 menstruators in the County.

• According to the American Medical Association, “The average lifetime cost in the U.S.—about 10 years of menstruation or 3,500 days of an average woman’s life—is about $1,800, which is the value of about 17,000 tampons or pads used in total. Without access to menstrual hygiene products, women may use makeshift sanitation products. That practice can lead to dangerous physical health impacts such as vaginal and urinary tract infections, severe reproductive health conditions and toxic shock syndrome.”

• Federal assistance programs do not cover the cost of menstrual items, classifying them as a “luxury.”

• Lower-income students and students of color (particularly Latinx students) are more impacted by lack of access than White and middle-income students.

• 1 in 4 Women Have Struggled to Purchase Period Products in the Past Year Due to Lack of Income.

• Women who experienced period poverty within the last month were the most likely to report moderate/severe depression. Not having access to period supplies can cause anxiety on top of embarrassment, and often leads to women and girls missing work, school, doctor’s appointments, social events, and other daily responsibilities. 

• 86% of women have started their periods while in public and without access to the necessary menstrual hygiene supplies. Furthermore, 79% reported creating makeshift substitutes for menstrual supplies out of toilet paper or similar items that are widely available in restrooms.

• 43% of respondents in a recent report noted anxiety and stress while menstruating in public without necessary supplies and approximately 35% experienced feelings of panic.

• Without access to period supplies, menstruators are often forced to use diapers, t-shirts, tissues, and other household items to manage their flow.

Sources:

• https://period-action.org/periodpoverty
• https://tidalbabe.org/
• Uncited information is pulled from the 2022 Final Report from the Commission on Women & Girls

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